Cuddle time with Ava.

Pausing outside of your daughter's bedroom door, you wonder if it's too soon to just stroll right in. Yeah... probably best to knock. Slow and steady wins the race, Frank.

You lightly tap your knuckles against the door.

"Come in!"

You enter the dimly lit room and quietly shut the door behind you. Ava is sitting at her desk, laptop and an open textbook in front of her. Soft music plays, creating a relaxing environment. You feel kind of guilty for interrupting your daughter's study time.

Ava smiles at you before turning back to her computer, "Almost done."

Unsure of what to do with yourself, you wander up behind her and cross your arms, "They're really still giving you guys homework?"

She laughs, "Just one of my teachers is. She's one person that I definitely wont miss..."

You watch her type for a minute. Looks like she's writing some sort of paper.

"Umm... Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have to stand behind me and watch like that? I'm trying to half ass my last high school paper ever and you're making me self-conscious."

You chuckle, "Sorry... I'll come back in a little bit."

"Oh you don't have to leave. Just give me 15 minutes, Dad."

You turn and look around. There's nowhere to sit besides the bed. After last night, your daughter surely wouldn't mind if you made yourself comfortable. You climb up on the bed and relax with your back against the headboard. For a few minutes you just watch your daughter, cherishing this intimate look into her life. It's a totally innocent situation but one you've never experienced with her. As she types away at an impressive rate, you wonder if she's forgotten that you're there.

Unsure of how to pass the time, you pull out your phone and find yourself looking at the profile pictures that the app provides. While looking at the one it chose for Ava last night, you can't help but wonder what kind of panties she's wearing now. She's still in her clothes that she wore to school, jeans and a t-shirt. If you had to guess, something on the more practical side.

You switch to Hana's profile picture. Naked but covered with her arms, your coworker looks downright enticing. You zoom in, trying to get a better look at her more intimate parts. The picture quality is phenomenal...

"What'cha lookin' at?"

Startled, you look up. Ava appears to have finished what she was working on and is now heading your way. You freeze. She hops up on the bed and settles in next to you. The two of you sit shoulder to shoulder while she looks over at your phone.

"Oh... nothing. Just, you know, aimlessly staring at my phone like people tend to do."

She giggles, "You just staring at your home screen? You need to download a game or something."

Fortunately she can't see the downright pornographic picture of Hana. You're zoomed in on the shadows between her thick legs.

You toss your phone aside and say, "Forget the phones, how's my girl?"

She nuzzles into your shoulder, "I'm alright I guess..."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Just worried..."

"About me and your mother?"

"Yep..."

There's a moment of silence. You pull your daughter more into you, wrapping an arm around her.

"Did you get the opportunity to go through her phone?"

Ava sighs, "No... I came straight home after school so that I'd be here when she got home. There... there was a moment when she went to the bathroom but I got nervous."

"Afraid that you were gonna get caught?"

There's another long moment silence. You notice that the music has stopped. It's so quiet that all you hear is the two of you breathing.

"No..."

"We can tell each other anything, Ava."

She takes a deep breath, "I'm scared of what I'll find."

"Ah, I see."

"I still want us to be a family..."

"I do too, but..."

She cuts you off, "I don't want you guys to get divorced. I know that I'm not a little girl anymore and I'm being selfish. You'll work it out. You have to."

"Ava..."

"Daddy, promise me... please..."

Your heart melts. Fuck. You honestly don't know what you'll do about Natalie's infidelity should it turn out to be true.

"We'll talk about it. The three of us."

She sniffs back tears and hugs you tight.

You run your fingers through her brown hair, "I still need you to look through her phone. Be brave for me, Ava."

"I will, Daddy."

The two of you cuddle in silence for a while. You briefly wonder if your daughter has fallen asleep but her breathing says otherwise.

She eventually breaks the silence, "I can't wait for Friday."

Grateful that the conversation has changed, you give her another squeeze and reply, "Me too. You sure you want Hana to tag along?"

"Mhmm... I like her."

You laugh, "How can you like her? You haven't even met her."

"If you like her then I do too."

"It's going to be a bit strange. Worlds colliding and all that."

"I'm just worried about what to wear. Do you know what we'll be doing?"

"I don't really know. I don't exactly go out much myself. Hopefully Hana will take the lead on that. Surely you have something nice in that closet of yours."

"Nothing fits me anymore. I haven't gotten new clothes in forever. Not since..."

Not since money got tight. You understand her meaning without needing her to finish.

"Your Mom probably has something you could borrow."

"Maybe..."

A thought enters your mind. Ava wants new clothes and you want to raise her scores. It sure would be nice to not have to worry about money. You need to do some brainstorming and figure out how to monetize the app. Maybe people will just give you money if they like you enough?

Ava wiggles out of your grasp and yawns loudly. You immediately miss her warmth next to you. She rolls off of the bed and gets to her feet.

"I'm going to take a shower and get ready for bed. You don't have to leave yet... I mean... unless you want to... or yeah..."

You smile at her sudden bashfulness, "This is as good of a place as any to hide from your mother."

Ava rolls her eyes and turns to leave. She closes the bedroom door behind her, leaving you alone in her bedroom.